Melarase AM/PM Review & Informative Guide
Skin discoloration issues like melasma, liver spots, and age spots can lower your self-confidence and make you feel unattractive. It gets even more frustrating when you’ve already spent thousands of dollars on skin lightening products that do nothing but fall short on their promises. But, thankfully, amid the thousands of skincare products that promise to whiten and even out your skin tone, there are a few hidden gems. Among them is Kare’s Melarase Cream.
What is Melarase Cream?
Melarase Cream is a skin lightening product that addresses all sorts of discoloration issues. It is most popularly used to remove signs of skin conditions like melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, and sunspots. While it is primarily applied on the face, it effectively evens out the skin tone on any part of the body.
Melarase Cream comes in two parts: (1) the Melarase AM Intensive Skin Brightener and (2) the Melarase PM Brightening Cream.
The Melarase AM Intensive Skin Brightener is meant to be used as part of your morning skincare routine. It works to inhibit melanin production and consequently combats dark spots and discoloration. One of its main advantages is that it doesn’t contain hydroquinone — a common skin bleaching agent. While proven effective, hydroquinone can make your skin more sensitive to sun exposure. That makes it an unsuitable ingredient for daytime skincare. For even further sun protection, Melarase AM’s formulation boasts four different types of broad-spectrum sunscreen. That makes it an effective anti-aging product as well.
On the other hand, the Melarase PM Brightening Night Cream does contain hydroquinone, since it is used at night. It gives you potent skin whitening benefits without the fear of sun sensitivity. Additionally, it contains tyrosinase inhibitors and natural liquiritin. Combined, these ingredients work to stimulate skin exfoliation, inhibit melanin production, and combat skin aging.
Together, the Melarase AM and PM Creams stimulate the skin to shed old, dark cells. That gives way to healthier and properly-nourished skin. With regular use, you’ll enjoy younger-looking, even-toned, brighter, and lighter skin.
Who makes Melarase Cream?
Melarase Cream was developed by Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, a renowned cosmetic surgery specialist from Beverly Hills’ famed Surgery 90210. To address aesthetic concerns outside of the realm of surgical procedures, he developed Kare MD Skin Health.
Kare is a skincare company with a whole line of specialized products that use only organic, natural, and medical-grade ingredients. It is known for its All-You-Need Kits, which combine a variety of products to address specific skin concerns. Among its most popular set is the Facial Brightening Kit, which features both the Melarase AM and PM Creams along with a few more complementary products.
What are the active ingredients of Melarase Cream?
The Melarase AM and PM Creams have different effects that complement each other for effective skin brightening results. Unsurprisingly, they both have different ingredients.
Melarase AM Intensive Skin Brightener Ingredients
Unlike most pharmaceutical and commercial skin brighteners, Melarase relies on natural compounds to even out and lighten the skin. Its active ingredients include:
- Mulberry Extract – Rich in antioxidants with potent anti-aging properties. In natural medicine, it is commonly used to minimize the appearance of age spots and even out skin tone.
- Bearberry Extract – A strong antioxidant with antibacterial properties. It is typically used as an astringent to cleanse and hydrate the skin as well as lighten dark spots.
- Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract – Contains antioxidants that specifically combats dark spots and blemishes. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, which help keep the skin clear and bright.
- Vitamin A – Speeds up the production of skin cells, keeping the skin not only healthy but firm as well. Additionally, it clears up acne, slows down aging, and blocks melanin production.
Melarase PM Brightening Night Cream Ingredients
Bearberry and Licorice Root Extracts are natural ingredients that the Melarase PM Cream shares with its daytime counterpart. But, it also features the following key ingredients:
- Vitamin C – An antioxidant that boosts skin regeneration by speeding up the body’s production of elastin and collagen. It slows down the aging process, helps shed damaged skin cells, and combats discoloration.
- Hydroquinone – A potent and widely-used skin-lightening compound. It works by reducing the number of melanin-forming cells. In doing so, it effectively whitens skin and evens out your skin tone.
- Ammonium Lactate – A combination of ammonium hydroxide and lactic acid, which is commonly used as a moisturizer for problematic skin. It also has anti-bacterial properties which fight acne and other blemishes.
How do you use Melarase Cream?
Melarase Cream can replace the moisturizer in your current skincare routine. Apply the Melarase AM Cream as the last step of your morning regimen and the Melarase PM Cream as after cleansing your face at night. While adding these two products to your routine should help you achieve bright and even-toned skin, it is most effective when used with the rest of Kare’s Facial Brightening Kit.
With the Kare Facial Brightening Kit, your skincare routine should be as follows:
Daytime:
- Wash your face using the Melaclenz Brightening Cleanser.
- Exfoliate using the Melapads Daily Exfoliating Pads.
- Apply Melarase AM.
- Once absorbed, apply Elevase Moisture Booster.
- If going outdoors, top with Spectrase Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen.
Nighttime:
- Wash your face using the Melaclenz Brightening Cleanser.
- Exfoliate using the Melapads Daily Exfoliating Pads.
- Apply Melarase PM plus.
- Apply the included retinoid.*
*The Brightening Kit includes one of three retinoids by Kare. There are three treatment levels to choose from, depending on your specific exfoliation needs. These include (1) Replenish for mild, (2) Replenish CX for moderate, and (3) RR Complex for deep exfoliation.
What are the possible side effects of using Melarase Cream?
The side effects of using Melarase Cream are few and uncommon. Apart from potential allergic reactions to any of the ingredients, the hydroquinone in the night cream can cause photosensitivity. To minimize the risk of sun-damaged skin, make sure you use an effective sunscreen before exposure.
Where do you buy Melarase Cream?
The easiest and most reliable way to buy Melarase Cream is through the Kare Skin Website. The Melarase AM is priced at $58 for a 2 fl.oz/60gm bottle, and the cost is the same for the Melarase PM. For the Facial Brightening Kit, the price could total anywhere between $306 and $332, depending on the retinoid level you choose.
Is the Melarase Cream worth it?
Yes, it’s a pricey product from a luxury brand and could cause quite a sticker-shock compared to other commercially-available skin brightening creams. However, the preference for natural contents makes it a safer alternative. Plus, each of the active ingredients has long been used in natural medicine to clear up, whiten, and regenerate skin. Spending a little over $300 on your entire skincare routine might be worth a shot, especially if you’ve tried other skin brightening products to no avail.